Wearing expensive hanging garments to a public or semi-public place carries with it the risk that the garments may be accidently or purposefully misappropriated once they are hung and left unattended. This risk of loss can detract from the pleasure that would otherwise be associated with wearing such garments in public.
Anti-theft devices for hanging garments are known in the retail garment trade, but as a group, such devices are not readily available for consumer use. Various patents for anti-theft devices attempt to address the misappropriation of hanging garments, which is assumed by the consumers of expensive hanging garments after the retail purchase. U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,072 to Strang discloses an anti-theft device for hanging garments comprising a bulky, and thus very inconvenient, mechanical locking device for locking a hanging garment to a garment rack assembly. The prior art does not allow the proprietor of the garment rack to modify the arrangement of the securing devices based on the proprietor's requirements.
What is needed is a securing device for hanging garments that may be attached to the garment rail and that may be easily adjusted to specific locations along the rail and a securing device that does not allow lubrication from the locking mechanism to soil the garment.